Method of knitting



Feb. 20, 1945. A, N; CLOUTI ER METHOD OF KNITTING v Original Filed May29, 1943 6 Shegts-Sheet 1 [PI/VENT)?! Feb. 20,. 1945.

A. N. CLOUTIER METHOD OF KNITTING Original Filed May 29, 1943 6Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill Feb. 20, 1945. A. N.- cLou-nEiR METHOD OF KNITTINGOriginal Filed May 29, 194; v 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jkmm /Wzami Feb. 20,1945.

A. N. CLOUTIER METHOD OF KNITTING ori i al Filed May 29, 1943 6Sheets-Sheet 4 vFe! 1945 T I A. N; CLQUTIER 2,369,774

METHOD OF KNITTING Original Filed May 29, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fla/'Fla'. 2/.

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' 6 6/ dull-11w v Feb. 20, 1945. A, N. cLou'nER 2,369,774

OF KNITTING I Original Filed May 29, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIC.26.

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Patented Feb. 20, 1945 METHOD OF KNITTING Arthur N; Cloutier, Lonsdale,n. 1., assignor to .Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. 1., acorporationof Massachusetts Original application May 29, 1943, Serial No. 489,002.Divided and this application January 19, 1944, -Serial No. 518,819

Claims (01. ec -41) This case is a division of application Serial#489,002, filed May 29, 1943.

This caseconcerns an invention in knitting machines of the circular,independent needle type such as are used for knitting hosiery. Themachines to which this invention particularly applies knit seamlesshosiery such as for ladies wear having a so-called inturned welt. Inaddition to that welt, the remaining parts of the stocking may beknitted in a known or in any other man- In practicing the invention acylinder and dial are employed, the cylinder having latch needles whichfunction in conjunction with cooperating sinkers to knit plain fabric.The dial, driven to rotate in synchronism with th cylinder, has aplurality of bits or loop holding and transferring instruments. Thesebits function in pairs and there are one half as many pairs as there areneedles in the cylinder. In other words, there is one pair of bits forevery other needle. At the'start. yarn is taken by certain of theneedles and is also taken over the bits and these bits-hold the loopsdrawn over them until such time as it is again desired to transfer thoseloops back to the needles. A welt of any desired size may be knittedbetween the time of taking loops to be held by the bits and thesubsequent transferring of those loops back to the needles. Preferably,alternate needles are provided wit thoseneedles may be raised to takeyarn or to take a transferred loop without raising the remaining orintermediate needles.

This control of alternate needles and an accompanying shagging movementmake it unnecessary to having a double jacl: control, also allowsraisingonly those needles which are to take loops. Asa result of that, the bitsmay bev ing and shagging mechanism in its different positions.

Fig. 6 is a section through part of the cylinder and dial showingconstruction of those elements, also a needle, a sinker and a transferbit.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of transfer hits as their loops of yarn are to betransferred by them.

Figs. 8 and 9 are views showing transfer bits and needles as they havedrawn yarn preparatory to starting knitting an inturned welt.

Fig. 10 shows transfer bits as a loop is held in position for theprojection of a needle through jack or other selective controlling meansso that that loop.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but at a later point in the cycleafter the needle has been projected between the bits and through theloop.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. lllbut showing the manner in which theloop has been shogged over for the reception of the proper cylinderneedle.

Fig. 13 is a detailed view of a sector of needles and bits adjacent thefeeding point at which time yarn i being taken by the needles and overthe points. 5

Fig. 14 is a similar detail of a sector of needles and points, but atthe opposite side of the machine at which transferring takes place.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but showing a modification in whichthe butts on bits are differently constructed, also a different type camis used.

' Fig. 16 is a plan view of dial cams and the pathway of butts ontransfer bits.

caused to spread their loops toa greater extent 7 than according toother practices, and accordingly, transferring is effected with agreater degree' of security. p

In addition to the above certain improvements of the transfer bitsthemselves will be evident from the following description of themechanism and its operation with reference to the accompanying figuresof drawings.

In the figures of drawings:

Fig. 17 is a section through the dial showing transfer bits fullyretracted. I

Fig. 18 is a detail greatly enlarged and showing a modified form oftransfer bits and the cam which functions with those bits;

Figs. 19 and 20 show one transfer bit of a pair.

Figs. 21 and 22 show the opposite transfer bit employed to make upapair.

Fig. 23 is an isometric view showing the manher in whichbits arecontrolled by the transshowing projection of needles through or betweenFig. 1 is an elevation, certain parts being shown in section,illustrating the diardriving and shogging means. v

Fig; 2 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fix. 1.

- Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detailed views of thedrivferring cam when thosebits are constructed as in Fig. 18.

Fig. 24 is a detail of a few needlesand hits the bits at transfer.

Fig. 25 is a conventional illustration of the fabric as it istheoretically pictured.

Fig. 26 is a conventional illustration of the fabric greatlyenlarged byshowing an intm-ned welt practically as the same would appear whencompleted.

Now referring has been illustrated in a typical hosiery knitting machinehaving a rotatable type needle cylinder .l, a sinker head 2 and a dialgenerally indicated by numeral 3. The usual -latch type needles 4 aremounted for reciprocation in slots in the cylinder and cooperatingtherewith, sinkers are controlled by the sinker cams of a sinker cam cap6. These sinkers are guided in the sinker head and also within a stitchring I.

A carrier ring 8 is hinged at the back of the machine and performs theusual functions of that particular element. A plurality of yarn feedinglevers 3 are hinged in 'the extension ll! of g the carrier ring, one ofthose levers being shown in active position.

The dial is driven by gearing shown in Figs. 1

and 2, also through a shogging mechanism which will be described indetail later. A shaft 1 I is rotatable in bearings within bracket 12 andthat shaft carries at its lower end a gear l3 which meshes with a ringgear I4 fixed at the outer edge of the sinker head 2. shaft a bevel gearl5 meshes with a second bevel gear IE on a horizontal shaft 11. Thehorizontal shaft I1 is freely rotatable in a bearing I8 in-the bracket19, said bracket I9 being fixed'to the carrier ring 8 and also servingas a bearing for the second vertical shaft which carries the dial. Thedial itself is keyed to a central shaft 20 rotatable within a sleeve 2|,the said sleeve being clamped in a boss 22 extending from the bracketI9.

The sleeve 2| is not rotatable and has attached at its lower end the cammechanism for the dial. The spindle 20 has fixed thereto a bevel gear 23which meshes with a similar bevel gear 24 on the shaft I1. Gears l6 and24 are both fixed to the shaft I1 and the gear 23 and the dial are fixedto the shaft 20.

Now referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 in addition to Figs. 1 and 2, theshaft II has fixed thereto a plate 25 which has an extension 26 andprojecting lugs 21 and 28. This plate is fixed by means of screws to acollar 29 which is in turn clamped to the shaft II. An adjustable screw30 is threaded into the lug 21 and a similar screw 3| is threaded intothe opposite lug 28. Locking nuts hold these in any adjusted position.

The extension 26 has pivoted at 32 a latch 33 having a point 34 and anextending end 35. Thislatch is maintained in engagement with a pro-J'ection 36 on the collar 31 except -atssuch times as the latch istripped. A spring 38 maintains the latch in that position, Figs. 2 and4, except when the end 39 of a lever 40 pivoted at 4| is moved to pressagainst the end 35 of the latch for disengagin it. 'At that time, asshown in Fig.

3. the point 34 of the latch will be swung out-' wardly a ainst thetension of spring 38 and the drive will no longer be through the latch,but will be accomplished by engagement of the screw 3| with projection42 which extends downwardly from the collar 31, or a projection fromthat collar. The collar 31 is really an extension or hub of the gear l5,or may be made separately and At the upper end of the except when movedto the position of Fig. 1 by a lever 44 contacting with the offsetmember 45 which is attached at the outer end of lever 40. Lever 44extends downwardly to be connected for actuation by certain cams on themain cam shaft of the machine. Such cams are commonly used and theirdescription is not necessary at this time.

A brake drum 46 has a hub 41 threaded and locked or otherwise suitablysecured to rotate with the shaft 20. A brake shoe 48 is attached to theupper end of a bell crank lever 49 pivoted at 50. That lever has ahorizontal offset portion 5| which is engaged by the lever 40 wheneverthat lever is to be released to be drawn upwardly by spring 43. Thespring 43 is of sufficient strength to move the lever 40 as desired andalso to apply the brake 48 against the drum 46 so that when the shoggingmovement occurs, the driven mechanism will immediately be retarded todrive through the lug 28 rather than by means of the latch and theprojection 36. The brake shoe 48 has a liner 52 made of leather or othersuitable friction material.

As before stated, alternate ones of the needles 4 are provided withjacks and may be controlled separately from the intermediate needles.There are two forms of bits which may be used and the general principlesof the invention apply no matin desired pathways. As shown in Fig. 16,the. dial cap carries cams 53 and.54 which are fixed in position andwhich really determine the outermost or innermost paths of travel forthe butts of the bits. Cam 55 may be called a knitting cam and moperates at such time as bits are to be moved outwardly for taking theyarn over their points. Cam 56 is a transfer cam and that moves bitsoutwardly to a maximum extent at the time needles are to come up throughextended loops after the complete inturned welt has been formed. Cam 5'!acts in conjunction with cam 54 to return the bits to an innermost orretracted position. Each one of these cams 55, 56 and 51 has controllingmeans similar to that described for the dial cams in U. S. Patent#2,255,068. Of course, other controlling means may be employed withoutchanging the general principles upon which the mechanism functions.

Referring to Figs, 19-22, a pair of bits are illustrated, the bits shownin Figs. 19 and 20 being the opposite one of a pair to that shown inFigs. 21 and 22. The bit shown in Figs. 19 and 20 and designated bynumeral has a point 59 and a butt 60 The bits herein illustrated haveshort butts, but-it is to be understood that one half the group of bitshave long butts and the other half short butts. "The distinction inlength is merely for the purpose of inserting the cams on the short buttgroup as is common practice.

The opposite bit 8| has a point 62 and a butt 63. The bits 58 and GIwhich form a pair are identical except for the width of their butts andthe fact that bit 58 is bent in the opposite direction from bit 6| sothat when assembled and inserted to project from a slot in the dial,they will spread outwardly as in Fig.7. This spread ing action isrestrained when the bits are withdrawn into the dial slots asillustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15.

Bit II- has a narrower butt 83 than the bit 58.

The distinction is clearly shown in Figs and 8 in which a pair of bitsare shown. those in Fig.

7 being spread to present a loop to a needle, while those of Figs. 8 and9 are illustrated in a position in which they take on yarn as atstarting the inturned welt. The butt ill is wider than the butt and thereason for that distinction will be pointed out in a later paragraph. Atthe start of the inturned welt a selvage is first knitted and then acourse of loops 64 are drawn over the bits, the alternate needles Ibeing raised to take and draw the yarn while the points 59 and 52 of thebits are projected outwardly as in Fig. 13.

In Fig. 13 the yarn feeding lever 9 is feeding a yarn to alternate onesof the needles 4, those alternate needles being raised by appropriatecams acting on jacks. The bits which have been moving'in an innerpathway such as the pathway 55, Fig. 16,have their butts engaged by cam55 which has been, moved to activeposition. That cam 55 moves the bitsoutwardly so that their points assume the position shown in Fig. 13 andin the enlarged views, Figs. 8 and 9. That projection of bits is notsumcient to spread the points more than a slight amount. In other words,the bits halve not been moved out of their slots' far enough so that thetendency for the points to spring apart can be fullyexert'ed.

The bits are moved outwardly with the leading bit 58 being projected outahead of the accompanying bit 6|. However, when the outermost point ofprojection has been reached under the influence of cam 55, those bitseach assume a uniform or evenly projected position. They cam 51 returnsthem to,the innermost point or pathway 55. The reason for having buttsof different widths such asthe butts 60 and 63 is that as is evident inFig. 14, the leading bit of each pair will be moved inwardly ahead of orin advance of the other bit of that pair. Since the butt 60 is ofadditional width, and that additional width is toward the point of thebit, the incline of the cam 5'! acts in conjunction therewith to startmovement of that bit which has a wider butt well in advance oftheaccompanying bit having a butt B3. The resulting action causes the point59 on the leading one of each pair of bits to drop its loop first andthereafter the point 62 on the second one of each pair of bits willrelease its loop. This prevents pinching the yarn at the point oftransfer as is sometimes experienced if the bits are retracted to- 1gether.

' As shown in Fig. 24 only the alternate ones of .the needles 4 areraised. Since the dial is shogged after taking loops on the bits andprior to transferring from them. it is possible to raise travel in aconcentric path until the cam portion 56 of'the cam 54 is reached. Atthat time the bits are drawn inwardly, the leading bit 58 moving in wellahead of the accompanying bit 5| of each pair. After at least a fullcourse of loops GI have been taken by the bits, the cam 55 will bewithdrawn and all bits will remain in the position to which they aremoved by cam 56. As manycourses as desired'are then formed by knittingon all needles until a desired length of fabric for a doubled orinturnedwelt is completed. A projecting finger is to be inserted betweenthe dial and cylinder needles during the knitting of the inturned weltso as to push thefabric'inwardly thereby to create a proper fold andavoid interference with or piling up of fabric at the needles.

After a sufficient extent of fabric has been knitted for an inturnedwelt, a transfer back'to the needles is efl'ected. During the part-ofthe cycle described to this point, the drive for'the dial has beenthrough the latch point 34 and the projection 15 as illustrated in Fig.4, otherwise, in a direct or nnshogged driving relation ship. i Theknitting is continued during transfeij'but u o cams 55 and 51' are movedinto active position whereupon the bits are pushed outwardly as shown inFig; 14 at which time alternate needles will again be raised by the jackmechanism and appropriate cams. The dial is also shogged justpreparatory to transferring since, as shown in Fig. 13, the needles comeup between or'to the sides of pairs of bits whereas at the transfer,

needles rise through each pair of bits toremove the loop therefrom. I

Cam -55 pushes the bits outwardly to fullest extent and at that time,needles are not raised I quite as high as the lower edge of the bits.see

' Fig. 10. As the bits reach their outermost point I not provided, twosets ofjacks or the equivalent would be necessary for raising one groupof needles during taking on and the opposite group at transfer.Accordingto the practice heretofore in effect, all needles have beenraised at both places so that while only one means of selection or oneprovision for raising all needles at each point was called for, it wasnot possible to spread the pairs of bits to such an extent as ispossible by the system herein described. The result is thatintransferring back onto needles, there is about twice as much room forraising the needles to which each loop is to be transferred withoutmissing that loop. The transfer is thus made exceedingly safe.

bits are illustrated and these are shown after the shogging movement hastaken place andwhile the loop held on the points has been ex tended'laterally toa maximum degree.

Now referring to Figs. 15. 18 and 23 a modified form of butt to be usedon one of the bits and the cam employed therewith is shown. In Fig. 18the bit 6l' has a butt 63 which as can be seen, in beveled or notched asat 68. The corresponding butt on the other one of the bits is of thesame width at its upper ed e but has no notch. The cam 61' is bev 'eledwhere the butts first start to contact it and "the angle of that bevelgrows less acute until the edge of the cam is vertically disposed at thepoint 69.

The action is such that at the transfer sidebeing transferred to bewithdrawn from the point of the leading one of each pair of bits firstand thereafter to be quickly slipped off the second one of the points asthe notched butt 63' engages the flattened or non-beveled part of thecam adjacent the point 69. At that point and thereafter, both bits aredrawn inwardly to the same extent, that extent being sufficient to shedthe loop from the points completely. This action avoids pinching theyarn in the loop to be transferred as in the first instance, but alsoprovides that both points shall be drawn in to the same extent at thepoint 69, also that the second one of the oints may shed its loop morequickly and with more certainty. After passing the point 69 the bitswill be drawn completely within the dial by cam 51.

In Fig. 25 the theoretical construction and method of producing thefabric has been illustrated. At the start yam a is fed to alternateneedles, that is, to needles knitting in alternate wales 10, I2 and 14.same yarn is taken by all needles and thus knits in all the wales Ill-14casting off the previously drawn yarn to form a selvage. Then the yarnis again fed to alternate needles but the bits are projected outwardlyat that time as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 so that the loops 64 willbe drawn over their points. In some of the figures the points are showntogether as yarn is drawn over -wa1e Hi-14 and in each course until thecompletion of as much fabric as is desired for the inturned welt.

As the, course 16 is drawn, the transfer function takes placesimultaneously so that each of the needles takes on a loop of the yarnat the feeding station, but at the transfer side of the machine,alternate needles will be raised so that the loops 64 held on the pointsof the bits will be transferred and taken by those needles. These loops64 were originally intermediate the needles knitting in wales 16, 12 and14, but the dial will have ben shogged a distance of the space be tweenneedles so that those loops which really aligned with the wales 'II and13 up to the point of shagging will actually be transferred to accompanystitches in the wales I0, 12 and 14. Then when the course 11 is knitted,the stitches thereof will be drawn through doubled loops in wales l0,'l2 and 14, but through single loops only in the intermediate wales.

In Fig. 26 the actual construction of the fabric is more accuratelyshown. Of course, the loops 6'! are greatly elongated in Fig. 25 sincethat figure is merely theoretical and the fabric has notbeen folded ordoubled over. In Fig. 26 corresponding loops and wales are given similarnumbers to those employed in Fig. 25.

Operation At the" start a sewage is tobe knitted.

in any desired manner.

to raise alternate needles only for taking the Yarn fedby theappropriate one of the yarn feeding levers, Fig. 13. -At that time thedial is driving in a normal way, latch 33 being in engagement with theprojection 36, Fig. 4. vJust prior to drawing this third course, thebits are moved outwardly In the next course that.

by the cam 55. After aloop such as the loop 66 has been taken on each ofthe bits and by alternate needles, the bits are drawn inwardly under theinfluence of cam 66, Fig. 13, and knitting continues on all needlesuntil arequisite length of fabric is formed.

At the transfer, cams 56 and 51 are'moved to active position and thedial is shogged prior to that time so'that when bits are movedoutwardly, they move out over those needles uponwhich the yarn was takenandrlrawn. At the transfer side of the machine while knitting i stillcontinuing at all needles at the knitting point, bits are movedoutwardly to such an extent that their natural tendency to spring apartcauses them to open the loops held on their points so that the alternateneedles may project upwardly through those loops. The jack control iscaused to function in conjunction with the cam control of Fig. 14 andafter all loops have been taken from the bits to their respectiveneedles, the bits are returned to their innermost pathway and the cams56 and 5'! are withdrawn. Knitting then continues with the same yarn orafter a yarn change as desired.

The above described operation is generally the same no matter which typeof bit is employed. The sequence of operations and control exercised bythe various cams is the same and the only distinction is in theparticular movements imparted to the bits as dictated by the differentlyshaped butts and by the cam 61' functioning instead of cam 61.

The invention has been described relative to one embodiment of the sameand it is to be understood that variations may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as originally conceived. Theinvention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim':

1. A method of knitting an inturned welt in a circular, independentneedle knitting machine in. cluding the steps of feeding yarn to spacedneedles only and over points of transfer bits, knitting fabric on allneedles throughout an extent suflicient for an inturned welt andthereafter transferring loops held on transfer bits to the same needlesupon which yarn was initially taken.

2. A method of knitting an inturned welt in a circular, independentneedle knitting machine which includes the steps of feeding a yarn toalternate needles only of a series and over points of transfer bitsintermediate the said alternate needles, then relatively moving saidtransfer bits to align with those needles to which the yarn was dles sothat the bits will align with said alternate needles, projecting pointsoutwardly over said needles to spread loops held thereon and movin saidneedles upwardly through said'loops thereby to'take them from the pointswhereupon knitting is continued on all needles and bits are withdrawn toan inactive position.

4; A method of producing an inturned welt 'upon a circular, independentneedle, knitting ma- I a 2,309,"; chine provided with radially movabletransfer bits each consisting of a pair of individual blades whichincludes the steps of causing the needles and both blades of transferbits to take yarns in alternation, thereafter transferring the yarn fromI the bits to the needles and, when so transferring,

causing one blade of each bit to move inwardly in advance of the otherblade of the same bit so that the yarn will slip from one blade beforedisengaging frorn the other. v c

5. A method of producing an "inturned welt upon a circular, independentneedle, knitting machine provided with transfer bits each consisting allthe needles, then causing the blades of each bit to separate so as tostraddle an adjacent needle and transferring the yarn from the bits tothe needles by drawing inwardly one blade of each bit'before the otherso that the yarn will be disengaged from one blade before the other.

ARTHUR N. CLOU'I'IER.

